“First a grenade was thrown at the crowd, and then the suicide bomber blew himself up. It is a pattern that would suggest the attack was planned meticulously and conducted expertly, certainly not by a novice,” The News quoted Farooqi, as saying.

He said that it was an assassination bid on the former Prime Minister in which at least 138 were killed, including 20 police personnel and several others injured.

“It was a suicide attack targetting Benazir. Her truck could have been blasted completely, but the police security bore the brunt of the attack,” Farooqi told a foreign news agency.

However, Farooqi said as of now they were not in a position to name any terror organisation’s name behind this blast.

“I am not in a position to name any organisation. The investigations are under way,” he said.

“She was evacuated very safely and is now in Bilawal House,” the police chief added.